Popish treaties not to be rely'd on : in a letter

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Poplfli Treaties not to be rely 'd on : In a Letter from a Gentleman^t Tork, to
^~ his Friend in the Prince of ORANG Es Camp. AddrefeJjo a.^l;Mem
hers of the next Parliament. ^

TH E Credulity and Superftition of Man- the Spirit of their Religion broke all before k %
kind hath given great Opportunities and how many Millions of thofe iimceent Creatures
Advantages to cunning Kn^xej tofpread were murder'd in cold Blood, and for Paftime fake,
their Nets, and lay their Traps in order with all the variety of Torments that the Devil

could infpire into them ^ how focn were the vaft

H E Credulity and Superftition of Man-
kind hath given great Opportunities and
Advantages to cunning Knaves to fpread
their Nets, and lay their Traps in order
to catch eafie and unwary Creatures •■>
thefe being led on by Ignorance, or Stupidity, they
byPride or Ambition, or elfe a Vile and Mercenary
Principle j Therefore feeing we are in this State of
Corruption, bred up to believe Contradiftions and
Impoflibilities, led by the Nofe with- every State
Momtebun\^ and Monkifl) fugler^ moved like Puppets
by Strings and Wires 5 it feems high time to vin-
dicate Humane Nature, and to free her from thefe
Shackles, laid upon her in the very Cradle •, for
Man ^who ought to be a Free and Rational Animal)
in his prefent State is only an Engine and Machine y
comriv'd for the Vanity and Luxury of Triefis and
Tyrants^ who claim to themfelves, and feem to Mo-
nopolize the Divine Stamp, tho' we a)re all made of
the fame Materials, by the fame Tools, and in the
fame Mould, equal by Nature, met together and
link'd in Societies by mutual Contrafts, plac'd by
turns one above another, and entrufted for fome
time with the Power of executing our own Laws,
and all by general confent for the Publick Good of
the whole Community j this is the genuine Shape
and Figure of Primitive and Sound Government, not
diftemper'd and fatally infefted with the mon-
ftruous Excrefcencies of Arbitrary Porver in one fingle
Member above all the Laws of the rvhole ; Infal-
libility^ Divine Right , &c. ftarted by Knaves
and Sycophants, believ'd by Fools, who fcarce ever
heard of the Greel^ and Roman Hiflories, and never
read their own. I fhali therefore give fome Ex-
amples (^out of an infinite number^ of People ru-
in'd and utterly defiroy'd by their eafie Credulity,
gnd good Nature, matter of Faft being a ftronger
Proof, and better Rule to fteer Mankind, than the
empty Notions of the Schools, invented only td
perplex and confound our Ratiocination, left it
mould difcover the naked Truth of things. The
prefent Letter will confine it felf only to Publick
Promifes, Oaths, and Solemn Contrafts, fcandaloufly
violated by the Roman Cathoiicks, not with Heathens
and f/ereticl(s only, but amongft themfelves: We
will begin with the more remote Countries.

The Spaniards and Fortiiguefes have afted fo trea-
cheroufly with the Africans, znd the Natives of both
Indies, that the Cruelty of the Hiftory would be in-
credible, if it was not related by their own Hi-
ftorians •, their Lcaguvs and Treaties (the moft fa-
crcd Bonds under Heaven} were foon neglected, and

Regions of Mexico, New Sp.tin, Peru, Hifuniola, Bra-
fel, &c. depopulated, above twenty Millions of the
poor harmlefs Inhabitants being pu'; to death in
full Peace, and they the beil nacur'd People in the
World , and very Ingenious •, tho' they may feem
Savages to a fort of Men, who think all Barbari-
ans that differ from them in Habits, Manners, Cu-
ftomes, Diet, Religion, Language, <fyc. not confi-
dering that all-wife Nature hath comriv'd a diffe-
rent Scene of things for various Climates ; Nay,
fuch is the Inhumanity of thefe Cathoiicks Nations
here at home, that they will frequently bring Strang-
ers ^fettled amongft them by the Laws of Com-
merce) and their own fellow Subjefts into the /«-
quifjtion, efpecially if they are Rich, upon a pre-
tence of fome Heretical opinion, tho' they them-
felves at firft proteft and licenfe the Opinion -, as
in the cafe ofiWa/i/w, whofe Book had rccciv'd an
Imprimatur from moft of the Inqu'fitors of Spain
and Italy, and even from the Infallible Head of
the Church, yet afterwards it was burnt, and he
himfelf together with many of his Followers mife-
rably tortur'd -, the Pope fcarce efcaping the Pu-
nifhment. The Generous Marjfial Schomberg (_ dri-
ven out of France for his great Services) who
had won many Battels for the Portuguefcs , and
fav'd their Country, could not be fuffer'd to end
his Old Age amongft them, but was forc'd in the
midft of Winter to commit himfelf to the Sea,
and fly to an inhofpitable Shoar.

The prefent French King renounced all his Pt:e-
tences on Flanders, concluded the Pyrenean Treaty,
and fwore at the Altar, not to meddle with that
Country, but how well he obferv'd that Sacred
Covenant, Baron D' Ifola will beft inform you in
his Bouclier d'Etat, for which he was thought to
be poifond •, neither hath the French Mmarch been
contented to break all Faith and Meafures with the
Spaniard, but he hath gone about to deceive and
ruine the Fope, Emperour, all the Hmces and Ele-
Hours of the tmpire, the Prince of Oymge, Duke
of Lorrain the SmK^es, the Dutch, and the Engltfh,
and not only thefe his Neighbours and Allies, but
his own Proteftant Subjeft-s who had all the Se-
curity that Solemn Ediih, Oaths, and Prrnifcs could
afford them, befides many other obligations Uj>on
the Crown for bringing the King to the Throne v

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vet all of a fudden they found^themfelvesopprefs'd
and deflroy'd by his Apoftolical Dragoons, their
Temples razed, their Wives and Children taken a-
way, their Goods and Eftates confifcated, them-
felve's caft into Piifone, fent to the Gallies, and of-
ten fliot at like Birds : His fcifing of Lorrairty Franch
Co^pte, Alface, Strasbargh, Luxemburgh, the Princi-
pality of Orange^ the County of Avignon, Philips-
*o«r/, the whole Palatinate^ the Eleftoraces of Ment7:_,
Treves, and Cokgn, his building of Cittadels in the
Empire and in It.:ly, &c. are fo contradi<a»ry to
National Agrecraents, and Publick Treaties, that
Icarce a Jefidt or a Frenchman can have Impudence
enough to defend them •, a Banditto, a Vyrate, or a
Tic\-pchet would be afham'd of luch Aftions ; and
an ordinary Man would be hang'd for a Crime a
Million times lefs. His feifing upon Hudjons Bay,
and leading the Englifl) into Slavery j the French
Treachery in the Engagement at Sea between us
and the Dutcb^ their frequent feizing of our Ships,
are light things, not worthy our Refentment, be-
ing under the Conduft of a Monfieur whom the
World fo juftly vilifies and defpifes.
The Emperour can have no good Pretence to con

CatholicJ^Si who have not Power or Opportunity to*
execute the fame things, feem to condemn the Con-
duft in Publick, but fmg te Deum in Private, and as
foon as ever they have got a fufficient Force, com-
mie the like Barbarities, fo effential to their Reli-
gion, that all the inftinftof Nature cannot feparate
them. The Holy Father at Rome (^tho' he fets up
for a moderate and merciful Pontificate') order'd t&
Deum to be Sung up and down, for the extirpation
of Herefy out of France and Piedmont -, and our
Englifh Catholic^ have given us (as their Army and
Intereft encreas'd) feveral proofs, how well they
can juggle and difguife themfelves •, fetting up Courts
of Inquifition, turning Proteftants out of all Employs,
and even out of their FreeholdsjdifpenfmgwithLavvs,
Ravifhing Charters, packing Corporations, ^c.
and all under a notion of Liberty or a Divine Right j
they with their Accomplices defended illegal Declara-
tions, andfet up an Authority above all our Laws,
under the Cloak of a fham Liberty of Confcience,
racking at the very fame time the Confciences of the
Church of £«^/;i«^ Men, and undermining the Foun-
dation of our State : If Mr. Pen and his D ifciples,
had condemn'd the unlawfulnefs of the Declarations

demn the King of France^ or any other Catholicl^ and the Difpenfing Power, when they wrote fo fafl r

Prince for breach of Common Faith and Honefty,
fince he himfelf hath plaid the fame Game with
his Proteflant Subjefts, inviting fome of the Chief
of the //«/i^(irww Nobility to Vienna, under the co-
lour of Treaty and Friendfhip, and then cutting off
their Heads, feizing their Eftates and Properties,
deflroying their Paftors and Churches, and extir-
pating the whole Reform'd Religion, after he had
promis'd and flipulated to proteft and give them
the liberty of their Confciences. The Parifian Ma-
facres were carried on and executed under a Mask
of Friendfhip, all the Principal Proteflants oi France
being invited to the healing Marriage, to Revel and
Garefs, were Barbaroufly Butcher'd at the Toll of
a Bell in their Beds, when they dream'd they flcpt
fecurely. The Lijh Maffacre of above 2000C0 Fro-
tij}ants,\v3S no lefs. Treacherous, it was a Copy of
the Spanijl) Cruelty in the Weil Indies, to whom
the 7/7/7; are compar'd by Hiftorians for their Idle-
nefs and Inhumanity, tho' not for their Wit.

The Perfecutionsof the Protefiants in the Valleys
of Piedmont, are another inftance of Popiflilmma-
nitv ^nd bafenefs •, they were under the common
Ihclter cf publick Paftions and Treaties, and had
been fclemnly own'd by the Dukes of Savoy, to be
the liiofl Loyal and the mofi Couragious of their
Suhjcfts. .The piefenc Dw^", who undertook this
Jail Pcrfecution, was not content to deftroy them
with his own Troops, but call'd in the French to
alfifl at the Comedy, to (hoot them off the Rocks,
10 hunt th.em over the Alps, and to fell the ftrongefl
of them to the Gallies, that the very Turl^ Slaves
tl'.enjfvlves might deride and infuU over them.

for Liberty of ConfcietKe, they had then fhew'd a
generous zeal for a juft Freedome in Matters of Re-
ligion, and at the fame time a due veneration to the
LegijlativeVowtt, C Kings, Lords, and Commons J hat
the fecret of the Machine, was to Maintain and
Ereft a Prerogative above all Afts of Parliament^
and confequently to introduce upon that bottom
Tyranny and Popery 3 yet, notwithftanding all this
uncontroulable Power, and fhew of Grandeur, an
Eaflerly Wind, and a Fleet of Fly-Soats, would
cancel and undo all again. Our MonkJP^ Hiftorians
relate of King John, that being in fome diftrefs, he
fent Sir Tho. Hardington, and Sir Ralph Fit^-l^ichols,
Ambaflfadoursto Mirammumalim the great Emperour
oi Morocco, with offers of his Kingdom to him, upon
Condition he would come and aid him, and that if
he prevail'd , he would himfelf turn Mahometan
and renounce Popery,

1 will not infift upon the violations of Laws and
Treaties in the Low Cmntries, or the Spanijh Tynnny
over them, becaufe the Spaniards have gotfo much,
by that Perfecution and Cruelty, that they might be
tempted to praftife the like again ; for by forcing
the NetherLmders to take up Arms for their defence,
and by neceffitating S^een Elizabeth to alTifl and pre-
ferve them, they have fet up a Free and Glorious
State (as they themfelves have call'd them in fome
Treaties) that hath preferv'd the languifhing Mo-
narchy of Spain, and the Liberty oiChriftzndome.

The Bafe and Cowardly Mujjacre of that great f/cra
William Prince of Orange, of tlie Renowned Admiral
Coligny, and the Prince of Conde ; the many Bloody
Confpiracies for the tKtirpation of the whole Race

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sfcheHoufe of <7r<rn^? J the Murders of Henry the
\d^ and \{emy the 4fA, are all Records and ever-
afling Monuments of Popifh Barbarity j what in-
redible Effufions of Blood hath been occafion'd
jy the frequent revolts of the ?o^ts againft tlie
mperours, by the Image-Worfhip, and the Holy
rVars? What Treachery in the Bohemian Tranf-
i^ions and Treaties ? What Inhumanity in burning
^erome of Prague^ and John Hus ? when they had
he Emperours Pafs, and all other publick fecuri-
ies from the Council itfelf, that put to Death thofe
ivo Good Men.

The Reign of Queen Mctry^ is another Scene of
he Infidelity and Treachery of the Church of
ome, what Oaths did fhe take, what Promifes and
roteftations did fhe make to the Suffoll^ Men who
ad Cet the Crown upon her Head, and yet they
ere the firll that felt theflrokes of a Perfecution
om Her. Read her Hiftory in Fox's Martyrs, and
oftor Burnet's Hiflory of the Reformation.
The many Confpiracies to dellroy (^ueen £//:^<?-
th and King James^ the Gunpowder- Plot, the Coun-
Is carried oti in Popifh Countries to take off King
barles the Firft, and the many late Popifh Plots
e a continued Series and Thred, carried on by the
lurch of Rove, to break thro' all Laws both of God
id Man, to ereft an Univerfal Monarchy of Prieft-
aft,3nd to bring the whole World under their Yoke.
lie Speeds have taken an effeftual and commenda-

way, to keep Popifh Triers and Jefuits (chofe
we feus and difturbers of Societies, the declared
lemies to the Welfare of Mankind) out of their
)untries, by Gelding them, and confequently ren-
ing them incapable of Sacerdotal Funftions, tho
e Triefis have found out a Salvo, and will fay Mafs
d Confefs, if they can procure their Tejhcles again,
d carry them in their Pockets either preferv'd or

Powder : In j^thiopia, China, and Japan, the
)man Triefls have been fo intollerably turbulent,
d fuch extravagant Incendiaries, that they have
en often Banifhed and put to Death ; fo that now
ey difguife themfelves all over the Eajiern Nati-
is, und:r the Names and Charafters of Marhemar
ians, Meihamck.s, Pbyfitians, ^c. and dare not
m thcir^ MifTion to propagate a Faith, which is
own ridiculous all over Ajja.

The long and dreadful Civil Wars of France, the
my Majjacres and Ferfecutions, and lallly the §iege

Rochel, are living Inflances how far we may rely
ipn Erigagemencsand Laws, both as to the caking

that Bulrfarl^^ , and the promifed relief from

nee. The P)o/e/?.r«f Defenders of it, refufing to
ly any longer upon Paper Edifts, and the word of

^cilChrifiian King, had this City j;rantcd them

a cautionary Town for their Security, for before
iljey had alwaics been deluded out of thtir Advan-
i)' Jcs by fair Proitiifes, infignificant Trcades, and
ce z word of a King j yet Lems the 1 3. following th^
i

vicious' Examples of Treacherous Princes, fell
upon this Glorious City, which, upon the account of
their Laws and Priviledges, made a refiflance and
brave defence, (having never heard of Paffive Obe-
dience amongfl their Paflors)thinking it more lawful
to defend their Rights, than it was for Lewis to in-
vade them.

As for the late and prefent Reign here in England^
they are too nice and tender things for me to touch j
whether tht Tranfa^ionsoi them are confiflant with
the Coronation Oaths, the many Dei^larations, Trotefta-
mn/,publickand folemn Promifes,! am no fit fudge;
they are more proper for the Gravity of an Hiflorian,
or the Authority of a Parliament to handle, than for
a private Gentleman in a Letter to his Friend :
The Bifhops Papers, and tl-.e P. of Crange's Veclara'
tions are the beft Mem-jin of them, but they only be-
gin , where the two pares of the Hiftory of the
growth of Popery and Arbitrary Government left off,
and how far we may truft to dtholicle^ Stipulations,
Oaths and Treaties, the fafts cf pafl and the
prefent Age are the befl Criterims and Rules to guide
and determine us ; for what happens every day, will
in all probability happen to morrow, the fame Cau-
fes alwaies produce the fame Effefts ; and the Church
of Rome is ftill the fame Church it was a hundred
years ago, that is, a Mafs of Treachery, Barba-
rity, Pcr'ury, and the higheft Superflition ; a Machive
without any principle or fetled Law of Motion,
not to be mov'd or ftopt with the weights of any
private or publick Obligations ; a Monjhr that de-
flroys all that is facred both in Heaven and Earth,
fo Ravenous that it is never content , uiilefs ic gets
the whole World into its Claws, and tears all to
pieces in order to Salvation ; a Vrotem that turns ic
felf into all fhapes, a Chameleon that puts on all
Colours according to its prefent circumftances, this
day an Angel of Light, to morrow a Beljebub. A-
mongfl all the Courts of Chriftendome where I have
Converfed, that cf Holland is the freeft from Tricks
and Falfehocd •, and tho' I am naturally jealous and
fufpitiousof die Conduft of Fi i«C(f ^yet J could never
difcover the leaf! Knavery within thofe Walls, it ap-
pcar'd to me another Athens of philofophers, and the
only Seat of y«/?ice and Vertue now left in the Worlds
as for the Charafter of the Prince of Orange, it is fa
f»iichfully drawn by Sir Will. Temple, Doftor Burner,
and in a half fheet lately Printed^ that I, who am
fo averfe from Flattery, that I can fcarce fpeak a
good word of any Body, or think one good thoughc
of my felf, will not Write any further Paneg}rii.\
upon his Highncfs, only that he is a very Floncft Man^
a Great Souldier, and a Wife Pj/wre, upon whofc
Word the World may f^ifely rely. A late Famphle-
teer reviles the P/imv with breaking his Oath when
he took the Statholdeis Office upon him, not confr-
deringtliat the Oath wasimpos'd upon his Highnefs ]n
his Minorit) by a French Faiiiiity then Jealous of the

afpijing^

af|>T ing and true Grandeur of his Toimg Sou .
the Strifes themfclves (to whoni the Obligation \va&
made) .freed his Nighnef. from the Bond ; and that
thencceffity of Affairs, and the Importunities of the
People forced that Dignity upon him, which his An-
ccjhrs had en'oy'd, and k Co we;ll deferv'd, that be
fav'd the (inking Commonwealth (their Provincesbt-
jngalmoasllSurpriz'dandEnllav'dby the French)
compared to tliegafping State of /lowe after the lofs
atCannx'^ hiis Highnefs was no more pufc up with
this Succefs, than he had been daunted with Hard-
fliipsand Wisfortunes •, alwaies the f^me Hero^ JuH:,
J>crere,and Unchang'd under allEventSjan Argument
of the valbei's o^his Mind ; whereas on the contrary,
Mutability, (fometimes Ijram, fonietimes Father of
a Country, fometimes Huffing, other times Sneaking)
rs ofteniime a Symptomc of a Mean and Cowardly
Soul, vile and dilTolute , born for Rapine and
Deftruftion.

As for the Dincefs, fhe may without any fiattery
be ftiled the Honour aud Glory of her Sex ; the
moil Knowing, the moft Virtuous, the Fairefi, and
yet^ the beft Natur'd Prmcefi in the World j Be-
lov'd and Admir'd by her EnemieSj never feen in
any Paffion, always under a peculiar Sweetnefs of
Temper, extremely moderate in her Pleafures, tak-
ing delight j.n Working and in Study, Humble and
Affable in her Converfation, very pertinent in all
C^uefiions, Charitable ro all ProtejUnts^ and fre-
quenting their Churches:The Frince is often feen with
her at the Prayers of the Church of England, and
»ne witli t?Rie Prince ^ at the Devotion of his Church 5
(he difpenfes with the ufe of the Surplice, Bow-
ing to the Altar, and the Name of Jefus, out of
Compliance to a Ccmtry that adores her *, being
more intent upon the Innrinfick and Subftantial Parts
of Religion, Prayer and Good W'orj^j .• She fpeaks
leveral Languages even to Perfedion, is entirely
Obedient to the Prince, and /;e extremely dear to
her i in a word, She is a Prince fs of many extra-
ordinary Virtues and Excellencies, without any ap-
pearance of Vanity, or the leaft mixture of Vice i
and upon whofe Promife the World may fafely de-
pend ; As for the many Plots and Confpiracics a-
gamft this Royal Couple a (hort time may bring them
all to light, and faithful Hiftorians publifh them to
the V/orJd.

Laflly, We may obferve that whereas it hath
been the Maxim of feveral Kings, both at home
and abroad of late years, to contend and outvie
each other in Preying upon, and Defiroying not only
their Neighbours, but their own Protefiant Subjefts,
by all methods of Perfidioufnefs and Cruelty j the
only way to eitablifh Tyranny, and to enflave tlie
natural Freedom of Mankind, being to introduce
a general Ignorance, Superftition, and Idolatry ;
for if once People can be perfwaded that Statues

F J N

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that and Idols

fca

are Divinities and adorable, and that
Wafer is the Infinite God, after two or three Ridi
culous Words, utter'dby a vile Impoftor and I
pudent Cheat, then they may eafily bevbro;
(ubmit their necks to ail the Yokes that a Tyr
a Prieft can invent and put upon them •, for
they paiE with their Rcafon, cheir Liberty v
foon follow •, as we beliold every day in the r',
ble enflav'd Countries where Popery domineer:
tlie contrary, it hath always been the fteddv a
mutable Principle of tl;e Houfe of Orange -
Europe from its Oppreffours, and to refettle v^overr
ments upon the Primicive and Immortal Fc cldtio
oi Liberty znd Property y a Glorious Maxi , ^,
from the Old Roman Commonwealth, that Fbu^ '-"t ah
Conquer'd fo many Nations, only to fet theni "^ret
to Reflore chem wholfome Laws, their Natural n^
Civil Liberties-, a Defign fo Generous, and
way Great, chat the Eafl groaning under the .v.
ters and OpprefTions of their Tyrants, flew in t
the Roman Eagles for Shelter and Proteftion, ur
der whofe Wings the feveral Nations liv'd Fre{
Safe and Happy, till Traitours and Ufurpers Tjcga
to break in upon the Sacred Laws of that vertuot
Conjhtution, and to keep up Armies to defend th'
by Blood and Rapine, which ftftice would ha%
thrown in their Face, and punifhed them as th-:
deferved ; the Prefervation and Welfare of t'
People being in all Ages call'd the Supreme Lan
to which all the refl ought to tend.

From the foregoing Relation of matter of Fatft
it appears moft plain, that the Roman Catholicks ar
not to be ty'dbyLaws, Treaties, Promifes, Oat'-o
or any other bonds of Humane Society *, the fac
perienceof this and other Kingdoms, declares •
Mankind the invalidity and infignificancy of aT ';l\
trails znA Agreements with the t'apifis, who notwi,
ftanding all their Solemn Covenants with Heretic\
do watcli for all Advantages and Opportunities to de
ftroy them, being commanded thereunto by thei
Councils and the principles of their Church, and in
ftigated by their Priefls. '

The Hiilory of the feveral Wars of the Barons
England, in the Reigns of King John, Her '
Third, Edward the Second, and Richard the
cond,in Defence of their Liberties, and for redreffinj
the many Grievances (under which the Kingdom<
groan'd) is a full reprefentation of the Infidelity anc
Treachery of thofe Kings, and of the Invalidity o
Treaties with them -, how- many Grants, Amend
ments, and fair Promifes had they from chofe Princes
and yet afterwards how many Ambufcades, ani-
Snares were laid todeftroy thofe glorious Patriot
Liberty;\s\\zt Violations of Compafts andAgreeme
and what havcck was made upon all Advant:
and Opportunities, that thofe falfe Kings could ta
Read their Hifltorics in our its cxaI chronicles,
I 5.

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